The subject concerning the salaries of Greek MPs has once again topped the headlines, especially after a lack lustre debate on Monday which attracted little interest from most MPs, including all of those who had spoken against the parliamentary salary regime in the media in recent days and especially all of those who pretend to be with the people (or the anti-Memorandum groups).
As expected, Greek MPs approved parliament's 2014 budget which retains all of these scandalous allowances. At first it was noted that Greek MPs will now be paid an allowance of 5,705.60 Euros a month gross but it was later clarified that this depends on which category they fall in. Meaning that if they fall in specific categories, then their salaries can exceed 8,000 Euros a month, and this is not including the participation in the various committees and/or organizations -where they also receive some kind of payment-, and certainly the salary does not cover all their benefits. And all this at a time when the average minimum wage of a Greek worker is only at 683.76 Euros (July according to Eurostat).
Guess this is why Golden Dawn MP Ilias Kassidiaris proposed that MPs should not receive more than Supreme Court judges, and Ambassadors (or more than 1900 a month). While speaking in parliament he said that Greek parliamentarians are provoking the anger in citizens because they are voting on not reducing their salaries at a time when "when people are jumping out of windows". He then noted that if some deputies claim to have difficulties in making ends meet then they can always register their names at one of the Golden Dawn's food handouts and his party will help them. He then submitted a proposal to parliament on reducing the salaries of MPs, but as he stressed, this proposal (as others) will end up being tossed away as well.
(lol - Watch video below)
SYRIZA's Dimitris Gelalis said that even though MPs had seen their parliamentary income fall by 35% (yeah right) since the beginning of the crisis, there was scope for further cuts (of course he did not propose anything, but he did have to speak).
Similarly, DIMAR MP Asimina Xirotyri raised her concern at the fact that a considerable chunk of the benefits received by MPs are tax free (two-thirds of their salary - She did not propose anything either.. as expected).
Reiterating his party's position, the Communist Party's Spyros Halvatzis called for the committee bonus to be scrapped (the KKE did not propose anything either).
New Democracy MP Yiorgos Vlachos, the only deputy to speak during the debate apart from the party rapporteurs, called for a basic salary to be introduced for MPs. He was the only one, who aside from Kassidiaris, also spoke out about reducing the benefits of MPs... But again... no concrete proposals from him either.
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